Archive for the 'Celtic Woman' Tag Under 'Soundcheck' Category

Usually Stevie Wonder enlists a lineup of newer stars and older favorites to help raise money and gather unwrapped gifts for the needy at his annual House Full of Toys benefit. But this time, for the 18th event, he’s planned something never attempted: a full performance of his 1976 double-album tour de force, Songs in the Key of Life.

“This is my celebration of song, life and love,” Wonder said Tuesday at a press conference announcing the event, Dec. 21 at Nokia Theatre.

The album, the pinnacle of a remarkable and highly influential run of masterworks in the ’70s, remains one of his biggest and arguably most signature collections, dominating the charts upon its release (it has since been diamond-certified for more than 10 million copies sold) and earning him four of his 22 Grammys, including his second win for album of the year (1973’s Innervisions is the other).

It’s his richest and obviously most generous assortment, spanning from the domestic bliss of “Isn’t She Lovely” and the funky reminiscence “I Wish” to the horn-driven Ellington tribute “Sir Duke,” experiments like “Village Ghetto Land” and “Pastime Paradise” (refashioned by Coolio in 1995 as “Gangsta’s Paradise”), and humanist anthems like “As” and “Love’s in Need of Love Today.” What a thrill it will be to hear rarely (if ever) aired tracks like the ebullient love song “Knocks Me Off My Feet,” the bittersweet soul of “Joy Inside My Tears” and the Steely Dan-esque instrumental “Contusion.”

December 14th, 2011, 12:30 am by BEN WENER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

If you've ever wanted to see Johnny Hallyday live, here comes probably your first and definitely your last chance.

What's that? Who's Johnny Hallyday?

If you learned how to conjugate écouter in high school, maybe you heard about Hallyday. The French Elvis, that's how he was introduced to me, and a half-century into his career he remains as wildly popular en Paris as Presley himself ever was.

Born Jean-Philippe Smet, he followed Elvis' example and broke out in the early '60s, singing rock 'n' roll remakes and originals. By the end of the decade he was working with Jimmy Page, Mick Jones, the Small Faces, Peter Frampton and Humble Pie on reinventing his sound -- and his platinum status with French-speaking audiences swelled even more. Over the decades he has gone on to sell more than 110 million records; when he was taped live at the Eiffel Tower in 2000, it was before 500,000 fans and broadcast to another 9.5 million.

The Independent (U.K.) recounts just what firebrand he was at home: "His early concerts caused riots. Cities all over France banned him. Five years before The Who, he was rolling on the floor of stages and smashing up guitars. If Johnny wanted to go to a nightclub, he would try to drive his car through the front door. De Gaulle condemned him as a corrupter of French youth and a Fifth Columnist of American cultural imperialism."

Gibson Amphitheatre and the Greek Theatre revealed the rosters for their Premier Marquee Club, the venues' annual joint subscriber series, and as usual it's loaded up with rare encounters along with plenty of old reliables.

Which offerings are the most tantalizing depends on what sort of concert-goer you are -- the entire list of shows can be viewed at the end of this post -- but many that stand out immediately are several headed to the Greek, including:

Spanish tenor Jose Carreras' first appearance at the amphitheater in 15 years, with full orchestra, June 26

Mariah Carey(right,for those who live under rocks), having recently nabbed another chart-topping showing with her new album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, has announced plans for her first full-blown outing in three years, kicking off Jan. 2 at Borgata in Atlantic City. The relatively small-scale Angels Advocate Tour makes only one Southern California stop, Feb. 23 at Gibson Amphitheatre, with opening act RydazNrtist (howzat exactly?). Tickets, $69.75-$150.75, go on sale Saturday, Dec. 19, at 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, Alicia Keys (below left, if you didn't recognize her), whose fourth album The Element of Freedom arrived today, will bring her logically named Freedom Tour to Staples Center on April 6. Those tickets, $45-$125, go on sale Sunday at noon.

Also at Staples: Walking with Dinosaurs -- The Arena Spectacular, Sept. 9-12, $39-$79, on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. UPDATE: That event also comes to Honda Center Sept. 1-5, $34.40-$92.15. Tickets are on sale now.

In teen heartthrob news: 15-year-old Canadian sensation Justin Bieber will spend Valentine's Day with screaming fans at the Hollywood Palladium, on sale Friday at 5 p.m. Nick Jonas and his new band the Administration, on the other hand, have added three more shows, Jan. 27-29, to their stand at the Wiltern, on sale now.

• Wolfmother -- The Aussie outfit's rightly acclaimed sophomore album, Cosmic Egg, took four years to arrive and owes a significant debt to Black Sabbath (among other obvious influences), yet it more than holds its own in a year crowded with potential heavy-rock neo-classics. The group, fronted by curly-maned spitfire singer-guitarist Andrew Stockdale (left), headlines Tuesday at the Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Heartless Bastards and Thenewno2 (aka Dhani Harrison) will open. Tickets are $25. Also at the Wiltern this week: sterling soul man Raphael Saadiq, tonight, $15-$35 …and Hollywood Undead and Atreyu with Escape the Fate, Saturday, $28.50. 714-740-2000. livenation.com

• KISS -- Ace Frehley and Peter Criss have fallen away yet again, replaced once more by Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, respectively. But only sour sergeants in the KISS Army would care –- Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, the band's nucleus, are still front and center, and once the hits and fireworks start blowing up, it could be just about anybody behind all that kabuki-glam makeup. The group's Alive 35 Tour (read all about it in our interview with Paul Stanley), celebrating both its 35th anniversary and the release of Sonic Boom, its first album of new material in 11 years, makes three Southern California stops: Tuesday at Honda Center, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, $31.30-$145.80 … Wednesday at Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, $19.50-$126 … and Nov. 27 at San Diego Sports Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., $15.50-$126. Buckcherry opens all shows. 714-740-2000. ticketmaster.com

• Ray LaMontagne -- After impressing in his orchestra-backed Hollywood Bowl debut earlier this year, the increasingly admired Maine-based singer-songwriter, still earning kudos for his third album Gossip in the Grain, returns for three solo acoustic shows, tonight through Sunday, at the Orpheum Theatre, 842 S. Broadway, in downtown Los Angeles. Tickets are $39.50-$49.50. 714-740-2000. ticketmaster.com

• Kem -- Another season brings another visit from the Detroit soul star, even though he hasn't put out any new music in four years. He performs Saturday night at the Grove of Anaheim, 2200 E. Katella Ave. Tickets are $50-$60. Also at the venue this weekend: '70s pop favorite Three Dog Night, tonight, $40-$55 … and sax man Kenny G., Sunday, $45-$75. 714-712-2700. thegroveofanaheim.com

• Thrice -- Having taken significant strides forward with its strongly redefining sixth album Beggars, the Orange-based band, fronted by Dustin Kensrue (right), returns home to end its first tour supporting the disc with three local shows: Monday at Avalon, 1735 Vine St., Hollywood $21 … and Tuesday-Wednesday at House of Blues Anaheim, 1530 S. Disneyland Drive, $18.50. The Dear Hunter opens all dates. Also at the Mouse House this week: reggae act Iration with Tomorrow's Bad Seeds, the B Foundation and Pacific Dub, tonight, $15.50 … Wizards of Waverly Place star Selena Gomez with Allstar, Saturday at 2 p.m., $22.50 … Austin duo Ghostland Observatory (and their kickass light show) with Speaker Junkies, Saturday at 8 p.m., $22.50 … the Joe Perry Project (now that Aerosmith is once again off the road and fractious), with Silent Treatment, Monday, $35 … and the BET 106 & Park Tour featuring Mario with Pretty Ricky and Mishon, Thursday, $37.50. 714-740-2000. 714-778-BLUE. hob.com, ticketmaster.com

OK, so all the oh-wow shows were announced yesterday. Still some cool morsels in here, starting with two fine gigs at the Grove of Anaheim -- Glen Campbell on July 17 and the Go-Go's on April 22.

The former, his career rehabilitated since a 2003 drunken driving incident, is still touring behind his critically admired album Meet Glen Campbell, in which the veteran studio pro and country star, now 72, covers everyone from John Lennon and Lou Reed to Green Day and Foo Fighters. Tickets for his show, $35-$55, go on sale Friday, March 27, at noon. Tickets to see the always reuniting, ever-fun Go-Go's, $55-$60, are on sale now. Both shows will have opening acts.

Last week, while I was on vacation, the Greek Theatre and Gibson Amphitheatre rolled out the roster for their annual Premiere Marquee Club subscription series, highlighted by coming concerts from Bonnie Raitt, John Legend, Neko Case, Andrew Bird, Flogging Molly, Counting Crows, Jackson Browne and more. (Click here for more info or to order tickets.) Now the Greek is starting to put some of those shows on sale to the general public.

Celtic Woman's new production, Isle of Hope, arrives April 25, $55-$105 ... the 2nd annual L.A. Latin Jazz Festival will feature the Caribbean Jazz Project reunion with Dave Samuels and Paquito D'Rivera, along with Jose Rizo's Jazz on the Latin Side All-Stars and Kenny Burrell & Hubert Laws, among others, May 16, $55-$80 ... the Allman Brothers Band and the Doobie Brothers team up for two nights, May 19-20, $50-$140 ... and War, Tierra, Malo and El Chicano reconvene at the Grove on May 23, $35-$80. All of those shows go on sale Saturday, March 28, at 10 a.m.

Just announced at L.A.'s El Rey Theatre: Zap Mama, June 17, $30, on sale now ...and Fonseca, May 7, $45, on sale Friday at 10.

Note: I know I've been off and on since a bit before Christmas, but I've got vacation days to burn ...and January is the best (read: quietest) time to do that. After this, barring any big breaking news, I'll be back next week.

There are plenty of offerings this week, but if you ask me the most exciting news is that new Hall of Fame inductee Leonard Cohen is set to play his first show in the States in 15 years, Feb. 19 at New York's Beacon Theatre. Wish there were a run of West Coast dates to announce as well, but though that gig is billed as a one-night-only affair, at least there's reason to hope more might be added.

As for what's going on 'round here …

Primus bassist, vocalist and all-around oddball Les Claypool (pictured with his old band at Verizon in 2004) will headline a bill March 7 at the Hollywood Palladium that also includes outspoken poet-rocker Saul Williams and performance-art ensemble the Mutaytor and modern cabaret act the Yard Dogs Road Show. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 15. Claypool's next album, Of Fungi and Foe, drops on St. Patrick's Day.